Harry Potter and the Lords of Old
by DarkProphets
Summary: Dumbledore is dead, yet Harry must continue on his mission. A new mentor will guide him and his friends as they find their true destiny, and their true inheritance. But will they learn to control these powers, and defeat the ultimate Lord of Darkness?
1. Leaving for good

It was a bright summer day in Little Whinging, Surrey, and everything was normal. Or was it? On a normal road named Privet Drive, in a normal house which happened to be Number 4, there was a very abnormal boy staring out of the window into space. He had unruly, jet black hair, green eyes that were dull compared to the usual shocking colour they were, wire-rimmed glasses, and a lightening shaped scar on his forehead. This boy was Harry Potter, soon to be a 7th year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Soon to be an adult in the Wizarding World, and more than he ever expected he would be.

He was currently staring at a speck of white in the distance against the black night, a snowy owl, which was flying towards him. As this owl grew nearer, he could see that she was carrying a letter and a package attached to her legs, and he smiled broadly. Harry stepped back from the window as the owl flew in and landed on his bed, hooting indignantly as Harry just stood there grinning.

"Thanks Hedwig." Harry said as he undid the package and letter, letting her fly into her cage for a well deserved rest and some water. He chucked in an owl treat as he sat on his bed, and looked at the package. He sighed as he recognised the writing as Mrs. Weasley's, and knew it would be a package of food. Picking up the letter first, he saw that it was Remus Lupin's writing, and opened it carefully.

_Harry_

_How are you coping? I know that Albus' death has hit you hard during the last few weeks, and it is understandable. Everyone is at loss of what to do now that he is dead, and we have lost our top spy, and the Order is falling apart! Some think that you're not worth the protection we are giving you, so a few of us have had to do 24 hour shifts to watch over you._

_I know you hate having guards, but it is for your own safety! Death Eater activity has increased drastically since Albus' murder and those of us who know the prophecy have protected you to the best of our abilities._

_You will also hate to hear this, but it is NOT your fault! Albus petrified you to keep you safe, something he would never regret even in death, and something any of us would have done for you. We do not know what you were both up too, but a letter left to us told us it was a mission you must complete, and that we were to assist you as much as possible. It also said some other things, we will let you read it tomorrow._

_Yes, Harry, we are coming for you tomorrow. Or today, if this reaches you after midnight. Be ready to leave at 9pm sharp, Molly sent enough food to last you the day. Do NOT leave your room except to go to the bathroom, we want to surprise your family and do not want any trouble! We will apparate directly into your room, pick you up, and leave, while Tonks will explain everything to them._

_Have everything packed, time is short._

_Your friend, I hope_

_Remus_

Harry's smile grew wider as he read that he would be picked up that day, and opened the package, eating a muffin before stuffing the rest under the loose floorboard below his bed. He took his glasses off and laid down, staring at the ceiling as he methodically tried to clear his mind as described by the books Hermione had sent him on occlumency, and finally fell asleep.

****************

It was midday by the time Harry woke up, and he jumped out of bed grinning at the thought of leaving that night. He stretched his sore limbs and walked around the room, slowly gathering his belongings and putting them on the bed, before walking over to his trunk.

He dragged it to the middle of the room and opened it up, before taking everything out of it, and grabbing the rubbish bin. Slowly he started to pack his stuff again, his school stuff at the bottom, all the old rubbish went into the bin, and the books and any items he may need in a rush went in last.

By the time he had finished, while occasionally stopping for a drink or something to eat, it was 8pm and he only had an hour left to get ready. He quickly got dressed and laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the pops that would indicate he was no longer alone in his room.

It felt like an eternity to Harry, as he lay there, but suddenly there were six small pops within his bedroom. Being on the cautious side, he jumped off his bed with his wand raised, and trained it on the face of Remus Lupin. Moody sent a nod at Harry as he saw this, but Harry just glared them all down.

"Headquarters?" That was all Harry spoke, hoping that Remus would catch on and identify himself as the real person. Remus hesitated slightly, looking at Moody who shrugged, before writing down on a piece of paper 'Sirius'.

This was all Harry needed to know, aware that saying it out loud was not a good idea, and knowing that writing down the address was not possible for Remus. He ran into Remus' arms, giving his parents friend a huge hug, clinging onto him as tears ran down his face.

Remus comforted him while looking over at Tonks, who turned away and walked out the room, withdrawing her wand as she went. Harry saw this and looked (up) at Remus, but he just shook his head, speaking softly to Harry.

"Later, we must leave now. It's not safe to travel via apparition or muggle methods, so we will have to take a portkey. Kingsley has got us an authorised portkey that somehow slipped through all the official channels. This will take us to Gringotts, where the Head Goblin needs to see you about your Potter inheritance, ok?"

Harry nodded and looked around, just realising who exactly had come to pick him up. In front of him was Remus Lupin, an old friend of the family. Moody was standing to his left, looking as alert as always as his eye spun wildly in its socket. Behind him was Kingsley, one of the Senior Aurors for the Ministry of Magic. Tonks had just come back, and was standing next to him, her being one of the Junior Aurors at the Ministry, although a formidable witch in her own rights. Harry also noticed Minerva McGonagall, his Transfiguration Professor and the temporary Headmistress of Hogwarts. He smiled at her as his eyes turned to the last person, someone he had never seen before.

Remus coughed slightly, getting Harry's attention as he held out a rope in front of him. Everyone grabbed a part of it, as Remus tapped it with his wand, making it glow bright blue. Harry took one last look around his room as Kingsley shrunk his trunk and empty owl cage; Hedwig had flown off to the Burrow earlier that day knowing Harry was being moved. He smiled as the portkey activated, dragging him into the nauseous swirl of light that would take him to Diagon Alley.

They all landed in front of Gringotts, and Remus quickly shooed Harry into the bank. They entered the dark atrium, Harry frowning as he saw only one goblin there. Immediately his questions were answered, as the doors slammed close, and some guards ran around the hall, getting into a protective stance around the bank and the lone goblin stepped forward.

"Mr Potter, I am Gralt Greyner, Director of Gringotts and Head of the Goblin Nation. I would like to thank you for coming at such short notice. I would also like to warn you that the bank is in lockdown for your protection, never has a double lordship taken place in our halls in such dangerous times. Follow me, please." Gralt turned around and walking towards the double doors at the back of the atrium, leaving Harry gob-smacked and wondering what the hell a double lordship could be.

**A/N: Thanks to Jerry who edited for me. Minor grammatical, spelling and structure mistakes has been fixed, made it more consistent. Thanks! -Dave**


	2. The inheritance accepted

The group of seven started after the Head Goblin, following him down a few corridors before entering a huge and ornate set of double doors. As they walked into this office, they looked around and were amazed at what they saw. The room was decorated with the finest marble, including the ceiling where diamond chandeliers hung. The walls had painting after painting of wizards, witches and goblins, as well as what Harry presumed to be famous artwork depicting battles between goblins and humans.

As Gralt took his seat behind his huge desk, he snapped his fingers and made 5 chairs appear next to the 2 that were already at the desk. Everyone took a seat with Harry in the middle, and when they were all comfortable, Gralt began the formalities.

"Mr Potter" he started, before being interrupted by Harry.

"Please Mr Greyner, my name is Harry." He said, smiling at the older goblin.

"Very well, you may also call me Gralt. I would like to welcome you once again to Gringotts, and inform you of some important information." He smiled as he took out a sheet of parchment, reading quickly before talking once again. "Upon the death of Mr and Mrs James Potter, your legal guardian was named as Sirius Black. Although as you know, he was soon arrested and placed in Azkaban prison effectively placing you under the care of Mr and Mrs Vernon Dursley. Due to them being of a non-magical nature, you was stated a Magical Guardian to manage your family affairs, with the exception of your finances. This was Mr Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, recently deceased. In the case of his death, he asked that you collect your true inheritance of the Potter and Black families, and all that goes with this, even though you are not of the age that your parents wanted you to collect your inheritance, nor are you of a legal age to assume the titles. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Harry stammered nervously, while looking at Remus fleetingly. "Professor Dumbledore was in charge of the legalities for my magical inheritance, but now he's dead and wants to basically let me take charge?"

Gralt nodded slowly, folding his hands together as he replied. "The Potter and Black families are 2 of the oldest in Wizarding Britain. Both carry the honorary titles of Lord Potter and Lord Black as dictated from when you were ruled by a Monarchy in the times of old. Because you are under the legal age, although your birthday is soon, it is my job to complete the inheritance procedures. This will emancipate you and make you legally an adult, as well as immediately release your Potter inheritance and the remaining items of the Black Inheritance that you were not yet given."

Gralt snapped his fingers once more, making 2 folders of the darkest and shiniest black metal appear in front of him. He took a letter off the top of them and cleared his throat, reading it out loud to Harry.

"Harry

My dear child, I am extremely sorry if you are reading this. I intend to tell you all of this to your face when you reach your legal age, but alas, the time has come for me to continue to the next adventure, restricting me from doing so.

From the first time that I laid eyes on you, I could tell you had your fathers humour and courage, yet your mother's intelligence and love. I always knew that you would grow to be a powerful wizard, and that you would love those around you and use that as your one true strength.

I would like to say I am sorry for hiding all this from you, but I was legally tied to not mention it to you. Please accept my profound apologies for all you are going to learn today, and remember that although I am dead, my help will always be given to those who remain loyal to me.

Your friend always

Albus Dumbledore"

Harry had tears in his eyes as he heard this letter being read out, taking it from Gralt as he folded it and put it in his jeans pocket. Remus put his arm around Harry and comforted him for the second time that night, as he nodded to Gralt to continue on.

"Harry I shall now read out a list of your inheritance, although the money will be a rounded figure, are you ready?" Upon a nod from Harry, he cleared his throat and opened both the folders, placing them on top of each others as he methodically read out the list.

"_**312,000,000 Galleons – Potter Family**_

_**Potter Estate (England) – Potter Family**_

_**Potter Cottage (France) – Potter Family**_

_**Marauders Mansion (USA) – James & Lily Potter**_

_**Wand – James Potter**_

_**Wand – Lily Potter**_

_**Potter Vault including all family possessions – Potter Family**_

_**195,000,000 (Round Figure) – Black Family**_

_**12 Grimmauld Place (England) – Black Family**_

_**Black Manor (Wales) – Black Family**_

_**Motorcycle – Sirius Black"**_

Gralt said, smiling at the shock on Harry's Face. "You also receive, on the identification and acceptance of the Chalice of Heirs, the titles and rights of Lord Potter and Lord Black. This includes 7 places on the Wizengamot, as well as shares in many different companies. You also get the right to choose any Gringotts employee to manage your finances. I have a contract for you to sign saying that you have been informed of all of this, and that you agree to your trust fund being replaced in your family vault, just to make your visits here easier."

"I agree, but want to change possession of some of the items please." Harry said quietly, looking at Lupin who was also in a state of shock at how much Harry had just inherited from his 2 best friends.

"What item would you like to transfer?" The goblin asked, making a new contract appear in front of him, and picking up his quill, ready to write the changes in.

"12 Grimmauld Place and Kreacher the house elf. I would like to give them to Remus Lupin, along with 10 million galleons." Harry said, waiting for the response from Lupin.

Lupin's head turned to Harry so fast, Harry almost missed it, and he laughed at the shock on Remus face. Remus went to interrupt this, but Harry held his hand up, signalling this was not up for discussion, before signing the transfer. When it was done, the deeds were handed to a reluctant Remus, before Gralt called on another goblin, to transfer the 10 million galleons to Remus' vault.

"Also," Harry began, "The motorcycle will go to Rubeus Hagrid, who currently has it in possession anyway."

The goblin filled in another contract, gave it to Harry to join, and sent a goblin off to owl Hagrid of this change in ownership. Harry imaged the look on Hagrid's face, when he got the owl saying that the bike is his.

"I want to transfer 80 million galleons to the Hogwarts fund, over the course of 8 years." Harry said while smiling at the look on Minerva's face as she spluttered madly, unable to reply knowing that Harry will just argue her down, or get it transferred anonymously, which she knew this goblin would do for Lord Potter.

"Ok Harry, your total is now 417 Million Galleons. We now have to confirm your identity, and see if you are accepted as Lord of the Potter and Black estates." As he said this, 2 goblins entered carrying a rustic bowl, making Harry raise his eyebrow at the 'Chalice of Inheritance'. Gralt blushed as he quickly took a knife out and placed it next to the Chalice. "This has been around for centuries, and is how we identify you. I shall place the family rings inside the bowl, and it will glow. Then you place a drop of blood within the bowl, and if the rings remain then you are accepted. If you are not, then the rings merely vanish back to your vaults."

Harry nodded again as Gralt placed the rings into the bowl, and picked up the knife. Harry took this from him and pricked his fingers, letting a drop fall into the bowl which was flowing slightly. The bowl remained glowing for a few seconds, before changing into an intense gold colour, fading into darkness once more after a minute. Harry peered curiously into the bowl, and smiled as he noticed the rings were still there.

Gralt picked the rings from the bowl, and handed them over to Harry, who stared down at them again. "Put them both onto the fourth finger on your right hand Harry and they will merge into one." Harry nodded as he studied the family crests a bit more, before slipping them both on as instructed. They glowed for a second before merging into one, the crests lying next to each other on a simple gold band. A few more seconds later, and the ring faded until it was invisible, making Harry look up sharply.

"The rings will simply stay invisible until you wish someone to see them, and then they will show to them persons only. There is no way to counter this old magic, luckily, so do not worry about your secret being revealed until you are ready. I now have the emancipation papers for you to sign, before we finalise what you want to do with your other assets." Gralt explained as he handed over some more parchment to Harry. These were all signed and filed within a few moments, before Harry leant back into his chair and rubbed his eyes from the events of the day.

"I would like Griphook to take over my finances please. He was the first goblin I ever met, and the only goblin except you that I know. I would like my Wizengamot seats to be distributed so each one of the following gets a seat; Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger, Arthur Weasley and Rubeus Hagrid. The other 3 I would like to keep to myself; this would give me more leverage correct?"

Gralt nodded the affirmative as he noted this all down, sending off the folders to Griphook for him to finish the work on the finances. Gralt put his quill down and stared at Harry, before standing and putting his hand out. "This is where we must depart, Lord Potter. Griphook will meet you in the atrium with the addresses of all your abodes, and the keys for them as well as your vaults. You may visit anytime you need too, just ask for Griphook. All our goblins will recognise your birthright from now on, so please do not hesitate to enquire if any help is needed."

Harry shook his hand and left the room, his guard following him. After meeting with Griphook and getting the keys he needed, as well as some money that Griphook kindly had taken out of his vault, and a muggle credit card for his shopping needs, he left the bank with the others. Remus asked him where he wanted to go, and upon answering that he wished to go to Potter Estate, Remus took his arm and spun on the spot. The feeling of being squeezed through a tube took over as Harry and Remus apparated to the house.

Remus sent the rest back to Headquarters while Harry took out the key and opened the main gate, promising them that they would be back later to explain to everyone else what was going on. They apparated away, leaving Remus to turn back around to Harry as the gates swung wide open, allowing them to start walking up the long driveway. Remus started reading the sheet of parchment that Gralt gave Harry about the wards, since he knew he'd have to explain them to Harry anyway.

"So according to this, Harry, when you opened the gate and claimed yourself as the legal owner, the wards transferred themselves into your control. This means that now you can do magic, you can change the wards, power them up, add some or remove some, and key people in. For example only people you allow can enter the grounds. If you had not of wanted me to enter, I would have been instantly repelled. This means you can also key me into certain wards such as the Anti-Apparition, Anti-Portkey, or give me access to floo in, by just tapping me on the head with your wand while thinking what you are giving me access too. Are you understanding or even listening, Harry?"

Harry had stopped instantly as he got nearer to the house, and stared at the sheer size of it. It was at least 4 stories high, and as wide as Hogwarts Castle. There were stables over to the right with a small cottage, that was obviously for a gamekeeper or any other staff if needed, although saying it was small was only a comparison to the main Manor. The cottage itself was at least the size of Grimmauld Place, if not a bit bigger. He turned back to Remus, nodding slightly to show he understood and was listening, before stepping forward towards the manor once more.

Remus just shrugged his shoulders and followed him up to the Manor, looking around carefully and taking in the grounds. There was a small forest surrounding the outer walls, although in itself it was not a bad size. There was a small lake about 50 metres wide running near the cottage, and behind the Manor, if his memory served him right from James' stories, there would have been a miniature Quidditch pitch with small stands, just enough for a few fun games.

By this time Harry was at the door, which opened as he neared it. Remus followed him in, and nearly walked into Harry, who had once again frozen. The entrance hall was huge, and Harry was staring around in amazement. There was a staircase directly in front that looked as if it went into smaller ones, leading to the upstairs floors. There was a door that obviously led down into the dungeon areas, as well as doors that led off the main hall.

To his left, Harry could see through a bunch of open double doors that the sitting room was there, and to the right was a huge dining room. He noticed how clean the house was, and frowned slightly before realising there was one thing that a magical household this size must obviously have, house elves!

"Hello, anyone there?" Harry called out at the top of his voice, grinning as Remus shot him a funny look. "Getting slow in your old days Remus? Surely you must notice how clean this house is. There must be ho.."

With a few pops, 3 house elves appeared in front of them. Remus grinned sheepishly at Harry, as the elves stared in disbelief. They all bowed to him lowly, one of them not as much as he kept eye contact with Harry. He realised that this must be the head house elf or something, so he walked closer to them.

"Master Harry?" The house elf asked tentatively, as if daring to believe. When Harry nodded at him, an eyebrow raised, the elf jumped in joy. "Master Harry you is back! It's so good to be seeing you again. I is Dumpy, the head house elf and the chef. Hoppy is on my left and she looked after Master Harry as a baby and is the gardener. Tippy is on my right and she is the cleaner of Potter Manor!" He squealed delightedly at the prospect of his Master being back.

"Please, stop with the Master! My name is Harry, and that is what I expect to be called." He said quietly, taking a look over the elves. Unlike Dobby and Kreacher, these were dressed in aprons with the Potter Crest emblazoned on them, and they were well cleaned and well kept. He nodded approvingly at this, before the other 2 house elves vanished from sight.

"Dumpy will be showing you around your house now Harry." The elf said as he bowed once again. The grand tour of the house included the sitting room, the dining room, the kitchen (which Harry noticed the elves were very clingy about), a potions lab, numerous bedrooms and bathrooms, a few studies, a private common room, 2 offices and a huge library that would make Hermione squeal even more than 100 house elves. But the peak of the tour was a huge gymnasium in the dungeons. Half the room was fitted like a muggle gym, designed to help the physical side of your workout, and the other half was a huge clean space that can be used for duelling or fighting.

Remus was just as astounded as Harry about the estate, never being here before. His family was protective about him visiting over the holidays, and once they had finished school, James and Sirius had been living with Mr and Mrs Potter in a house that James sold soon after they died. He smiled painfully as they had entered what was James' room, but took on a strong face as he comforted Harry yet again. 'This boy would breakdown big time soon if he didn't stop having all these emotional shocks' was the only thought that ran through Remus' mind at that time.

By the time the tour ended and they were back in the sitting room, it was nearing midnight. Remus could see that Harry was tired, and he could also see something behind Harry that he thought the young teen did not need to see at this moment. Dumpy must have realised this, so he led Harry and Remus outside, skilfully turning Harry in such a way that he didn't notice. When they were back in the entrance hall, Harry thought of allowing Remus full access into the house, and tapped him on the head. After Remus was keyed into the wards, he held tight onto Harry's arm and apparated them to Grimmauld Place, but not before they promised they would return the next day with friends.


	3. Treacherous lies

By the time they returned to Grimmauld Place, it was getting late and Harry was shattered. He stumbled into the bedroom that was his, not even bothering to undress as he took his glasses off and collapsed onto the bed, immediately falling asleep. Remus stood at the door and watched with a slight smile on his face as Harry slept peacefully for once, before closing the door and retiring to bed.

The next day was havoc for Harry. He awoke early and got washed and dressed, before stumbling down into the kitchen. He hadn't even opened the door, before he was tackled not only by Ron and Hermione trying to hug him, but also by the suffocating hug of Mrs Weasley. Next were Fred and George who shook his hand, all the while cracking jokes about the state he was in this early in the morning, before Ginny gave him a quick hug, backing off and sitting away from him. One glare from Ron and a warning glance from Hermione was all he needed to know about that situation, and he said nothing as he took a seat.

Since Kreacher was at Hogwarts, Mrs Weasley, or rather Molly as she insisted Harry called her, prepared breakfast. There were many people in and out of the house now, including Tonks, Moody, Kingsley and a few whom were unknown to Harry. Remus finally awoke and sat next to Harry, eating his breakfast in silence with everyone else.

"Remus, what defences have been cast on the house to make it secure from Snape?" Harry asked the one question that was puzzling him. Everyone else froze slightly and Harry thought they looked slightly guilty, his eyes narrowing as he started to cotton on. "Because if this house is not secure then why use it? If I see that bastard again, I shall rip him apart limb my li..."

Harry froze as the doors opened behind him, and he heard the familiar sneer of the Potions Master. Moving with a speed that was thought unnatural to any human being, Harry leapt up and twirled around, aiming his wand directly between Snape's eyes as he began to incant the killing curse. Remus grabbed his arm and shook it roughly, just as Moody sent a disarming curse at Harry. This angered him even worse, and in a shock display of wandless magic, he blasted everyone around him away and pinned Snape against the wall.

"Explain yourselves NOW." He roared, staring into his enemies eyes with hatred that he never knew he had. His head was pounding, his hands were sweating, and above all that he wanted to know why Dumbledore's killer was standing in front of him as if he did nothing wrong. Harry saw Remus hand him a letter, and he snatched it off him, not taking his eyes on Snape the whole time. Somewhat reluctantly, he lowered his eyes to the letter although he never released Snape.

_Order of the Phoenix_

_If you are reading this letter than I am sorry to say that I have passed onto the next life. There are charms to ensure only members of the Order can read this, and that only Harry can read the last few paragraphs, so please do not attempt to show it to anyone else._

_I am writing this letter to answer a few questions you may all have regarding my death and what must be done next. I am guessing that Alastor has taken over leadership of the Order temporarily, so the rest of the letter shall be written so._

_The council must induct Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny into the Order, no questions asked. Harry has a mission to complete and these 3 will follow him no matter what he says, which means your help will be required by the teenagers. Do not deny them anything; their mission is important to the safety and future of the Wizarding World as we know it._

_The council needs to elect a new leadership and stick to it. Being organised and working together is the only way you are going to survive this war. There is one more bit of advice that I have for the order, and that is regarding my death by the hand of Severus Snape._

_Severus is to be trusted no matter how I die. He is under a vow by me to kill me should the need arise, especially since my death was near due to the mission I was undertaking. Do not fear as Severus has found a way of completing this mission without harm so that Harry is safe, I made a stupid old fools mistake that left my arm poisoned and my body on the verge of death._

_He will be willing to undertake questioning under Veritaserum to prove all of this; and you can easily test this letter for proof. Do not allow any harm to come to him as he is the single entity that can help Harry defeat Voldemort and end this war. He has contacts and knowledge that will benefit Harry immensely, remember this._

_**Harry, my dear boy, I hope you are taking the news of my death well. Do not dwell on your grief as it will slowly take over your mind. You have a very important mission to focus on and that should take your priorities right now. First, you have a wedding to attend, and a young Weasley to apologise to. I know you well my son, do not turn your back on love, it is the power the Dark Lord knows not!**_

_**You must return to Hogwarts and work from there. You shall have unlimited access to any part of the castle, including the restricted section. As Head Boy you shall have more power than anyone else, and you shall be able to leave the school whenever you wish with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Do not abuse this privilege!**_

_**Please trust Severus, he will help you more than you can possible imagine. Do not let him suffer more than he already is.**_

_Yours in death,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry read the letter carefully, frowning as he got to the part about trusting Severus. He shoved his wand away and turned from Severus, causing him to snort in disgust. Before anyone could stop him, Harry spun back around again and punched him dead on the nose, causing it to bleed as he fell back against the wall. Grabbing hold of Ginny, Ron and Hermione, he pulled them out of the room, quickly muttering the location of Potter Estate to them. He tapped them all on the head once to allow them access via apparation, and then Hermione apparated Ginny while Ron apparated Harry, into the entrance of the grand Potter Estate.

********************

The trio plus Ginny, or the Quartet as Ginny was calling them now, collapsed on the couches in the living room. Harry stared at the wall angrily, still trying to process what was going on, while the others looked at each other guiltily, obviously knowing about this letter all along. They had not been taken the oath and could not read it, but they were told by their own mother what it said and were present at the administration of and the questioning under Veritaserum.

Hermione let her eyes wander around the room, taking in the fine decoration, the plush furniture, and the general feel of this expensive and very bold house. Her eyes stopped on the wall behind Harry and her eyes opened wide, everyone else following her line of vision as they saw the shock and surprise on her face. Harry turned around, falling off the couch when he saw what was on the wall. He stood up and gulped, walking closer to it as if unsure that he was really seeing it.

2 faces beamed down at him as he stood in front of the huge painting, a man with messy black hair, not unlike Harry's own mess of hair, and a woman with red hair and shocking green eyes. Harry's own green eyes started to fill with tears once more as he stared up into the painting, reaching his hand out to touch it tentatively.

"Mum? Dad?" He spoke with a slight wobble to his voice, wary of believing he will get to actually talk to his parents, whether in a portrait or not.

"Oh my, James!" Lily had tears of her own forming, along with James. "Look at Harry, our beautiful baby boy is all grown up now!"

Harry turned and ran away, choking on his tears as he fled up and into his bedroom, the biggest and grandest of them all. He heard shuffling downstairs, presumably the guys deciding to follow him or not he wondered, before he heard someone coming up the stairs. He quickly flicked his wand at the door, muttering a locking charm just as the handle turned, denying entrance to whoever it was. He really wasn't in the mood for Ron's sympathy or Hermione's lectures, and he knew that Ginny wouldn't come after him, would she?

Whoever it was seemed to accept that he wouldn't open the door, and they walked back down to the entrance. He seemed guilty just leaving his friends alone but knew they would find something to do, probably look around the house Harry assumed. He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling for what seemed hours, although in reality it was no more than 20 minutes.

BANG!

Harry shot up, his wand in hand already taking down the charms as he sprinted downstairs to the entrance hall. What he found was extremely amusing, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. Severus Snape had obviously tried to apparate directly into the house, and was caught in what must be a trap. He was dangling upside down while tied up, his hands behind his head so he could not reach his wand, and the house elves surrounding him.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny were all standing there with their wands out, Hermione was obviously trying to undo the trap while the elves looked ready to attack. Dumpy turned around and faced Harry, glancing back at Severus who was trying to scream but obviously silenced.

"Harry! This bad man has the evil mark and has been caught by traps. Only Master may release him, but Dumpy does not understand how he was able to get into the house at all unless Master gave permission."

Harry nodded and waved his wand at Snape, who promptly fell to the floor untied. He stood up and brushed his robes down, sneering at Harry while doing so.

"It seems your father couldn't stop with the pranks even after he left school. I don't know what your mother saw in that useless waste of space."

Harry's grip on his wand tightened as it aimed straight at Snape's face, but before he could do anything, he heard a voice come from the portrait of his parents. Harry turned around just as Snape did, and missed the lock of utter shock as he took in the painting in front of him.

"Well look who it is, the resident greasy git and Death Eater of Hogwarts! Did that bring back any memories for you, Snivellus?" James laughed outright as Snape's face turned to thunder, his hand twitching towards his wand.

"Shut up James. And you too Sev." Lily spoke in a quiet but firm voice. Both the men instantly closed their mouths as Harry frowned at his mother using a nickname for Snape. "Sev, it's so good to see you again. But we shall talk another time; you can't have just turned up for a social visit." With that she grabbed James and pulled him out of the portrait.

Harry snorted and walked into the living room where the others had sat back down, waiting as Severus followed and sat opposite him. Before he could speak, Remus arrived and sat between them, taking out a piece of parchment and laying it on the coffee table.

"We all need to talk and sort this out. I hope you have no plans, any of you, this may take a while." His tone brokered no argument as everyone glanced at each other and sighed, knowing that the talk to come will not be a good one.

**A/N: I'm so sorry that it's taken this long to upload, but I've been busy with work and real life issues! I will be updating as soon as possible, but it's hard as I have still not found a Beta Reader. I'm basically looking for someone who will get a preview of the story and can tell me if it reads well, the spelling/grammar (not too important) and just about the plot in general. Message me if you're interested, you'll get all the information about the story if I accept you! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's just a lead up to the next one. Everything will be revealed, souls will be bared and tears will be shed. Read 'n' review please! Thanks! -Dave**


	4. Severus' Stories

**A/N1: Quick warning, this chapter is 2 storied told by Severus Snape. Pretty boring at first, but it sets the whole plot for the rest of the story, so please pay attention!**

*************

Snape cleared his throat and took a sip of his tea before he began his long and interesting story.

"I grew up living with my mother, a half-blood witch, and my father, whom was a muggle. My father knew what my mother was, and in turn what I was, but he hated it with a passion and never allowed my mother to practice it, although she had a huge library full of books. I was raised in the muggle way, knowing of my true heritage, yet I was feared and shunned by everyone.

There was a witch in my area, and she had immense control over her magic even at a young age. Her sister had no powers, and therefore was overly jealous of the younger sibling. I used to spot them in the park often, the witch would be making flowers sprout and vines twist with nothing but her mind, it was fascinating. Even I, someone with a Wizarding heritage, had no control over my magic without a wand at that young age.

Lily Evans became my first friend. At this time I loved potions and the Dark Arts, reading about them all the time and even brewing whenever I could. By the time I was 11, I knew off by heart the full syllabus for the first 3 years of potions at Hogwarts, and spent my lesson time learning the advanced theory.

Lily and I remained friends even at Hogwarts, our houses never separating us. She was also brilliant at potions, and we were always brewing together or just talking about our days. Even during the summer we would meet up at one of our houses and brew potions, it bound us closer together. We ended up in love, or at least I did. But then I made a huge mistake.

During my 5th year, as Potter here knows, I was attacked by the so called pranksters that had named themselves the Marauders. During this, in my anger, I called Lily a mudblood, something that I regret even to this day. I tried to apologise but she wouldn't have it. She was hurt enough that I was hanging around with friends in my house, those who were highly immersed in the Dark Arts.

My life changed. I became even more involved in the Dark Arts, using my potion skills to develop and learn more poisons and potions designed for torture. When I was 17, I joined the Dark Lord and within a year was his potions master. I studied and got my doctorate to become an official potions master, recognised by the Ministry of Magic. This is when the Dark Lord sent me to spy on a meeting in the Hogs Head, again as Potter knows.

I overheard the Prophecy and reported it to the Dark Lord, my mind not realising that it was referring to the son of my nemesis, and the girl I had always loved. I instantly went to Dumbledore and begged his forgiveness, turning spy there and then. The Dark Lord thought that I was doing it to spy for him, and so I learnt Occlumency and Legilimency after months of practice, and became a master in it. This enabled my spying to be much more efficient.

The Dark Lord merely put this down to me being affected by the death of Lily, and that I had learnt Occlumency to shield my pain. I let him believe this, for I had asked him to spare Lily's life and he would have, had she not stood in his way the night she was murdered. To this day, I regret telling him what I heard more than anything. I regret that my actions killed the girl I loved, and so I made an oath on my magic to protect her son anyway I could.

When you came to Hogwarts, Potter, you looked so much like your father. I hated you for that, why couldn't you have looked like Lily? And then I saw your eyes, and I hated you even more. Her eyes were what captured my heart, and there you were proudly displaying them as if nothing mattered. I admit that I hated you for that, but my main reason was to keep my façade of being a spy.

I knew the Dark Lord would return, Albus always insisted on it, and so I kept my brave face and my mask on at all times. I treated you like crap merely so I could help the war efforts and to protect you. I even protected you when you least knew it throughout your school years, but it was not enough. Albus told me about the horcruxes and I realised that I must help as much as possible.

And then Albus went and injured his arm. A slow-acting poison that was going to kill him, which I managed to barely contained. He had a year, maybe a bit more if he was lucky, and so he did the unthinkable. He guilted me into taking an Unbreakable Vow to kill him and save Draco's soul, or anyone else's, when the time arises. He did not wish to suffer, yet I was supposed too. I had no choice, and so I murdered him.

I was honoured by the Dark Lord, naturally, and am now his most loyal, so he believes. I admitted I know of his horcruxes, hoping he would kill me to retain his secret and let me get away from this pain, but instead he told me more. He told me what each one of them was, and that they are hidden around the world, yet wouldn't say where. He treated me for that mere hour as a friend and an equal, and that is when I finally understood.

The Dark Lord can be destroyed. And Potter can do it. Your love will defeat his arrogance, his selfishness and his power, for the simple fact that he has nobody. He is served by those who fear him, yet you are followed by those who love you. We all joined to help purify the world so we believed, yet the methods we take up and the fact we are destroying the world is not what we wanted, and it disgusts all his Death Eaters. Most of them only stay due to fear.

And so here I am, baring my soul to you so that you can see I am willing to help you anyway that I can. I loved your mother, and vowed to protect you. But more than that, I have seen the way you've grown up, exactly like I have at my home as a child, yet your pure heart has made you turn out so much better than I have. I want to see the Dark Lord dead, and I would swear my allegiance to you instantly to see this done."

Snape leant back and closed his eyes, letting this entire story sink in. Remus and Hermione had tears in their eyes, while Ron just looked gobsmacked. Snape glanced at Harry who was frowning, obviously not understanding something, or rather understanding something that Severus himself did not know.

"Potter, there is more to say, but that is for tomorrow, it is late now. Tomorrow we must discuss your heritage and have a lesson on the history of the Wizarding World. We will be talking about the Time of Old, something that obviously Granger knows about." Snape sneered as Hermione gasped when she heard what they would be talking about.

"My name is Harry, not Potter. It's about time you stopped thinking I'm my father, Professor." The anger in Harry's voice was unmistakable as he glared at Snape, who merely nodded back respectfully.

"And my name is Severus." He paused as if caught in a memory. "Your mother used to call me Sev. She was the only one whom I allowed. That invitation is open to you as well, to prove that I am sincere about offering my assistance. But it is open to you only." He added as he glared at the others. "It may be best if we stayed here tonight, the library here will help me with my lesson tomorrow. I do not presume to invade on your privacy, but a bed to stay in and free roam of the library would be nice. And access to apparate in or out."

Harry nodded and tapped his wand on Severus' forehead, allowing him access through the apparition wards and those blocking Death Eaters. He then quickly called a house elf, ordering them to give the potions master a temporary room until the next day, before he and the others retired to their own rooms.

*********

It was 11am the next day by the time everyone was ready to continue their talk. They had all got up early and taken the time to explore the manor, eat breakfast and have a wash. Harry had to practically drag Severus out of the potions lab once the potions master saw everything that was in there, but when they found a set of quarters including lounge, bedroom and bathroom right next to the lab with a hidden door leading into them, Harry knew that he would offer Severus the rooms to stay in while at school.

They had all talked about nothing important during this morning, but Harry's mind was turning already. He knew enough about the Order to know that Grimmauld Place while a good meeting area for large amounts of people, it was not a place to run a proper war from. It would be better as a safe house, so he thought, and Potter Manor would be a better place to run the war. They could easily have the Council living there most of the time and have one floor dedicated purely to the Order itself.

Harry shoved these thoughts out of his mind as they all sat back in the lounge, Severus placing a few heavy tomes on the table that he had taken from the Potter Library. Remus conjured them all tea and sat back while Severus recounted his next tale.

"Back in the days before the Ministry of Magic, and in fact before Hogwarts, the Wizarding World was run in the same way as the Muggle World, although with a few differences. There was a ruling Monarch, knowing as the King of Old, but his line was permanently wiped out centuries ago. There were then the Crown Prince of Old, heir to the throne, and 5 Lords who acted as the Council of Old and his advisors.

Although only 'advisors' in the public eye, they technically had more power than the Monarch. They were magically more powerful, knew more about politics, and made most of the decisions that the Monarch then put out to the world. The 4 lords were trained in all forms of magic and combat, and were ruthless in their escapades.

The Lords of Old were 5 people as I said. The Lord of the North, the Lord of the South, the Lord of the East, the Lord of the West, and the Lord of the Light, each whom also were masters of an element. The North was the Master of fire, South of Water, East of Earth and West of air. The Lord of the Light was the Master of all Elements and the Heir of Merlin.

When the Monarchy was wiped out, the Wizarding World was separated and loads of wars started out. The Lords protected their own areas, but soon their families faded as the Wizarding World was pushed into secrecy by the Muggles. The Lord of Light remained as the most powerful of all, until one day when a Lord of Darkness came about. Nobody knows how, but his power rivalled the Lord of Light and there was a drastic battle, killing them both.

Few the years, there have been a few instances when both the true powers of Light and Dark have waged against each other. The first was relatively minor, and were in the forms of Gryffindor and Slytherin, one thousand years ago. By this time the blood was diluted and only a few others came about, both only minor battles. But there was an old prophecy that was unheard, but is said to have predicted that one day both the true Lords of Light and Darkness would fully emerge and do battle once more.

Tom Marvolo Riddle, heir of Salazar Slytherin, known to us as Lord Voldemort IS the Lord of Darkness, there is no doubt about that. He has control over most of the elements to a basic level, although still better than most, but the real proof is his mastery of the Dark Arts and of the Old Magic. This means, Harry, that you are inexplicably the Lord of the Light, Heir of Merlin and the one who is destined to fight the Lord of Darkness no matter what any other prophecy says."

Severus took a sip of his tea and relaxed slightly, looking at the awe on the faces of Remus and Ron, the look of deep thought on the face of Hermione, and the look of utter shock on the face of Harry. Not only did he just say he was the Heir of Gryffindor, but the Heir of Merlin and one of the most powerful wizards alive, even more so than Albus Dumbledore.

"Sev, I'm nowhere near as powerful as Voldemort though. I have trouble performing some normal spells, let alone more powerful ones." Harry said uncertainly, frowning as he proved this by trying to conjure tea and only getting a cup.

"Ah, but Harry, your powers will not come into effect until you come of age. When you do, you will be out for at least 3-4 hours that day while your body adjusts. It will have take in a hell of a lot of magic as the bonds within your core remove themselves, and you will take a while to get used to all this magic. But do not fear, as I can help you with this easily." Snape said softly, waiting for the next obvious question.

"Sev, who are the Lords of Old?"

Severus smiled and leant back once more. "I am the Lord of the South, Master of Water. The others cannot be confirmed but we have our suspicions, we meaning Albus and I."

Harry's eyes widened even more at this revelation, knowing now that by ancient prophecy Severus must be on his side, he could not turn his back on the Heir of someone that his Heir swore allegiance too.

"Who are they Severus?" Ron said this time, narrowing his eyes as if he didn't believe a word.

"Mr. Weasley, you are supposedly the Lord of the North, Master of Fire. Miss Granger is supposedly the Lady of the West, Master of Air, and Miss Lovegood is supposedly the Lady of the East, Master of Earth. Of course these changes are usually not so bad, and would have happened through the night for them, it usually begins around 1am. Sadly for me I was awake and endured the changes severely. For you though Harry, you must be awake and in full consciousness for the changes to work. Miss Love good's change will be forced since we will need her with us to begin training."

"But Prof... Severus," Hermione stammered, blushing slightly, "I've noticed no difference, and Ron would have said if he had."

"That, Hermione, is because you have not attempted anything you would have. Is it often you try to manipulate Air? Or that Ron tries to manipulate Fire? No. Whereas with me I was awake and therefore it was investigated. And before you ask, you are not fully a muggle-born; on your mothers side there is slight magic blood in your family, which is how this is possible." Snape answered with a smirk, just as Hermione opened her mouth to ask that exact question."

With that done, Severus stood up and gestured at the piles of books on the table. "I recommend that you read them, they contain more information for you. You will come of age in a matter of days, Harry, and we shall see what happens then. But for now, I must take a shower before we head off to Grimmauld Place; there is a meeting that we must all attend."

Sev left the room, his robes billowing behind him as Hermione's eyes lit up at the thought of reading the huge books on the table. Remus smiled at them and left the room, leaving the trio and Ginny to talk privately. Ginny glanced around feeling slightly left out, but she knew that her destiny was intertwined with the others even if she didn't have any amazing powers, and so she moved closer to Harry as they opened the books slowly.

It was an hour later and they had only just managed to skim the contents to see what the books were about when Remus and Severus returned. Ginny took Severus' arm, a gesture that was not missed by anyone and shocked Severus to the core, a simple gesture that spoke volumes of trust and respect to allow him to apparate her, and then they all spun on the spot, vanishing from one place, just to land moments later in Grimmauld Place, ready to face the Order of the Phoenix for the first time since Albus' death.

**A/N2: A bit longwinded I know, but it sets the whole storyline and plot. The next chapter is rather the same, it sets out the whole precedence for the Order of the Phoenix, and will introduce the way the story will advance. And then of course we have Harry's birthday and from there on starts the adventures! Please bare with me, and thanks to the person that reviewed, and to those who have setup alerts. I woke up to my inbox spammed with alerts, that's what I love to see! Still looking for a beta reader, anyone is welcome! Thanks -Dave**


	5. The Council Changing

Severus and Remus told the others to remain in the lounge before entering the kitchen, the room where the Order of the Phoenix met. They knew that the whole order would be there today, and then there would be a separate, private meeting of the council that leads the Order, something that Albus had thought of just before he died. They watched as people they knew, such as Tonks, the Weasleys including Bill, Charlie, Fred and George and Kingsley entered, as well as others they had seen around but did not know by name.

It was about 10 minutes later when Remus came back out, and said he was going to introduce them all formally, with their titles in Harry's case, and suspected titles in the others case. Just before they could say anything about Neville and Luna not being there, the doorbell went and in came the 2 other students. Harry beamed at them and hugged them both quickly, but left the pleasantries for later on. Remus led them to outside the kitchen and then walked back in, clearing his throat importantly.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I have the honour of introducing the newest members of the Order. They are not used to formality though, so just to remind them they are to enter in pairs when I call their names. First I would like to introduce, The Honourable Lord Harry James Black-Potter, Head of the Houses of Potter and Black, Lord of Old, Lord of the Light and Master of all Elements, along with Ginevra Molly Weasley. Next, I would like to introduce The Honourable Lord Neville Longbottom, Recently named Head of the House of Longbottom and The Honourable Lady Luna Lovegood, Lady of Old, Lady of the East and Master of the Earth Element. Last, but not least, the Honourable Lord Ronald Billius Weasley, Lord of Old, Lord of the North and Master of the Fire Element, and The Honourable Lady Hermione Jane Granger, Lady of Old, Lady of the West and Master of the Air Element."

As each pair entered the rest of the Order just stood there in shock, not knowing that these 6 were such important people. As Remus shut the door, slowly one by one, each member stood up and bowed to their Lords and Ladies, before giving them a huge round of applause. Severus was stood with a smirk on his face at the end of the table, they obviously all knew who and what he was, but it didn't bother him at all. The 6 of them took their seats on the left and right of Tonks and Moody before Kingsley stood and spoke.

"Now we have introduced them and discussed all we need too, we shall reconvene on the 2nd August at the same time. Can the council please remain behind? Thank you everyone."

There was a large amount of noise for a few minutes while everyone either went outside to apparate (only the council could bypass the wards), or stayed a few moments to congratulate the students. The other Weasleys were waiting in the lounge for the meeting to finish. Kingsley once again stood and looked around at the others, smiling as he talked to them.

"Remus will be taking notes on this meeting, if he does not mind." Once Remus had set out his quill and parchment, Kingsley continued. "Welcome to the meeting for the Council of the Order of the Phoenix. Present as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Bill Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. I'd like to welcome them personally into the Council, before we start deciding on duties."

Kingsley took out a list and expanded it, placing it on the wall where everyone could see. There were various different titles pertaining to the Order written on the list, and Kingsley carried on speaking as everyone read this.

"Now, needless to say that the 6 students here will be involved with every concept of the Order, so if they are not given a specific title then do not worry, as they will still be involved. We first need to elect a leader for the Order of the Phoenix, who shall command in battle and be the authority that the army will need. Are there any nominations for this position?"

Before anyone else could speak, Harry raised his arm and stated easily, "I nominate Kingsley." That one statement caused a huge stir, and it seemed that everyone was rushing to be the ones to second and third that choice, a unanimous vote you could say. His name appeared on the list as Head of the Council of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Now," Kingsley continued his speech, "We need a second-in-command. They will be in charge of the defence and of most of the issues involved. I shall be taking a more diplomatic approach as Albus did and run the day-to-day issues, but we need someone who can deal with missions and with battles. Therefore, I nominate someone who is easily going to be the strongest Wizard in this room. I have seen him fight with passion, and we all know he will not stop until Voldemort is destroyed. I nominate Harry!"

The roar was deafening. Everyone started cheering him on and he just sat there blushing, reluctant to accept this. But as it was once more a unanimous vote, that every Wizard in the country probably heard as well due to the noise, his name appeared on the list as Deputy Head of the Order for short. The voting continued until all the titles were filled, and Kingsley stuck the parchment to the wall with a quick charm. It now read:

_**The Council of the Order of the Phoenix**_

_**Head of the Order: **__Kingsley Shacklebolt_

_**Deputy Head of the Order: **__Lord Harry James Potter_

_**Head of Recruitment: **__Arthur Weasley & Bill Weasley_

_**Head of Research: **__Hermione Granger and Minerva McGonagall_

_**Head of Training: **__Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks_

_**Head Strategists: **__Ronald Weasley and Neville Longbottom_

_**Head Healers: **__Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley_

_**Potions Master: **__Severus Snape_

Kingsley smiled at everyone and started to speak once more, hoping that the others were not fed up of his voice quite yet. He couldn't help but notice how the Order was turning into a miniature army, and prayed that once this was over they could be pressed into continuing to serve the Wizarding World.

"Ok, I shall be quick now, but I would like to remind you what your positions hold. I shall be in charge of the daily running of the Order and making big decisions, although the Council shall also be involved in this. Harry will be in charge of accepting new members, under the advice of Arthur and Bill, as well as taking reports about missions and preparing for battles. Arthur and Bill, you must scout out new people to join the Order, we need to create an army, even if it's only small, so we can truly fight back. 20-something people is just not enough, and the Aurors are near enough useless at the moment due to the training being rushed, no offence Tonks and Alastor! Hermione and Minerva will be in charge of researching anything that is needed, god knows that Hermione's dream is to memorise the Hogwarts Library."

He paused as everyone laughed at this, closing his eyes for a second to gain some breath, and taking a sip of his tear.

"Alastor and Tonks will be in charge of training the Order. This means working on warding, Bill can help with this as a Curse Breaker, and it means training the members in defensive and offensive procedures for when we go to battle. This shall be explained in detail at our next meeting. Ron and Neville, you shall be in charge of planning missions and battles. I have seen you play chess, Ron, and you are fantastic. I know Neville has the potential to be good at this as well, so he can assist you and you can teach him. Ginny and Luna, you will work with Madam Pomfrey at school on healing spells. Ginny has shown an aptitude for this in the past with simple spells so I have been told, yet she is also a strong fighter. Luna will be our primary healer, and Ginny shall be our battlefield healer. Severus, need I say more? Carry on as you are doing, although we shall require more potions now, so feel free to ask any of us to assist if needed."

Everyone nodded that they understood, and so with that the meeting finished. Molly, Charlie, Fred and George came back into the room, all of them giving Harry a heartfelt hug before Molly started with dinner. The others just sat around talking abut Quidditch and the joke shop the twins now owned, as well as laughing at a few of the pranks they used to pull. Altogether, it was a fairly relaxed evening, and with a mind clear of worry, everyone went to sleep, ready for Harry's birthday the next day.

**A/N: Heyyy. Sorry this is short, but the next part is Harry's birthday, and I want that to take a whole chapter. I also apologise for this chapter being slightly boring, but there will be quite a few meetings of the Order going on, so I wanted to establish who everyone is and what they do, to make it easier for everyone to understand later chapters. The story should get more exciting now! Beta-Reader still needed! Thanks to everyone who reviews, it's appreciated. -Dave**


	6. Birthday Bash

Harry awoke that day only to find his bed surrounded by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna and Severus. Noticing that Ginny was indeed in the room, he quickly blushed and pulled his sheets up to cover his bare chest, although he didn't miss the fact that all 3 of the girls were watching him appraisingly. Rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them, he rolled out of bed to where Severus and Ron were, but that was not for long.

"And where do you think you're going, Lord Potter?" Snape asked mockingly, before pushing him back into bed. "You are aware of the changes that are going to happen to you today; in fact they have already started. Drink these quickly, they will calm you down, will numb your whole body to stop any severe pain, and will protect your nerves from damage. Believe me, you shall need them."

Harry downed the 3 potions and leaned back against the bed, watching as a gold glow started to emit from his chest. Everyone but Severus had stepped back, and even then Severus was a few meters from the bed, watching carefully. Before he could help it, his body arched and rose into the air, thrashing around wildly as Harry started to scream in pain. This continued for a few minutes until suddenly, the room went quiet, although Harry's body remained glowing and airborne.

Meanwhile inside his mind, Harry was being taken on a journey, a journey that was making him feel sick. Memories and lights whirled around him as he was forcefully pulled deep into the recesses of his own mind, past where his conscience was and into the centre of his mind and magic, his Magic Core. His self-representation of himself, inside his mind, stood up and looked around at what was going on in his mind. The 'room' was large and round, with a column in the middle and a small sort of panel in front of it. He walked up to the panel and touched the button, making the column open up so he could see his core.

Harry was astounded. It was the purest and brightest gold he had ever seen. He had read a bit about Magic Cores when studying Occlumency books, and knew that the colour of the core represented the power of the Wizard or Witch. There were usually 7 colours that there could be, black, white, grey and one for each of the Elements; blue, red, green and brown. But gold? The other colours were self explanatory, Harry thought, but the gold was confusing for him. He had only seen one reference, regarding Merlin and the colour of his core. It was said that his core was a dull gold, due to his being a powerful light wizard.

Frowning as he tried to remember what else the book said, it hit him hard. He was more powerful that Merlin. The brightness of the core determined the power, whereas the colour determined the magic. Those with black would have an affinity for Dark Magic, for example, and those with white would have an affinity for protective magic. Grey would be neutral, the other 4 colours would mean they have potential for spells surrounding that particular Element, and gold meant that Harry would be able to cast nearly every spell that exists with ease, as well as control every Element.

With that thought, his mind started spinning again just as his body, in the wakening world, started to writhe once more. He was once more pulled all the way back through his mind, before slamming down onto the bed and waking back up. He groaned as he opened his eyes, his head pounding and every muscle aching in his body. He was so stiff that he couldn't move, and could just about look around at everyone in the room.

"Severus." He said quietly, staring at the Potions Master, "Head. Muscles. Pain."

It hurt Harry to speak, but this was enough to kick everyone into action. Hermione was casting calming spells at Harry to help calm his muscles, while Ron was casting heating charms to do the same. The heat and massage like feel to their spells helped a lot, as Ginny covered him in a blanket and fluffed his pillows slightly. Severus just stood there, trying not to laugh as he held a few potions in his hands. Eventually he shoved them out the way and helped Harry drink the potions, watching as colour returned to the now Adult Wizard's face.

Harry smiled and said his thanks, before attempting to get up. He noticed his head on longer hurt, and neither did his muscles, but he also knew that he would have to take the potions every few hours for a few days to stop the pain coming back. He had just started to move when once again, he was pushed back into bed. Severus had his wand out and was waving it over Harry, who just raised his eyebrows as he felt the magic wash over him. When Severus performed once particular spell though, he froze and looked at Harry warily, before doing it again.

"I.. I need to go and talk to the others about this. The Council are downstairs, I.." Severus didn't finish as he dashed out of the door, leaving the others just staring at the door as if he was going to walk back in straight away.

"Well, that was weird. How long was I out?" Harry asked, before stretching and getting out of bed. He put his glasses on and walked to the wardrobe, looking at the clothes he had, while Hermione informed it that it was now 10am, meaning he was out for just over 3 hours.

He quickly grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, going into the bathroom to wash and change. He emerged a little while later and walked out of the room, the others just shrugging and following him downstairs into the kitchen. The conversation stopped as they all entered and took their seats, but Harry merely started eating as everyone watched him.

"Harry," Severus started, watching the now adult carefully. "My diagnostic spells saw that apart from the pain, you're in perfect health. In fact, your magical essence has multiplied to a limit that I have never seen in anybody before, not even Albus or the Dark Lord."

Harry just nodded and carried on eating, all of this not being news to him. Inside his mind was spinning as he went over the same thought again and again. He was the most powerful wizard in the world. Ever! He knew that once it finally hit home, he would not be this carefree but today he just wanted to enjoy his birthday. Once he had finished eating, he stood up and made sure he had his wand on him before addressing everyone.

"Right, I'm off to Diagon Alley. I need some new robes and other items, and I'm sure this will mean you don't need to keep me busy while planning my surprise party." He merely smirked as his friends turned red and Molly mumbled something to Arthur. "I'll be back this afternoon, and no I do not need a guard." He shouted the last part as he walked to the fireplace and flooed to the Ministry of Magic.

******

A few hours later Harry had finished his shopping in Diagon Alley, and was eating lunch in The Leaky Cauldron. He had numerous bags next to him full of shrunk items that he had bought for himself, and his friends and he went over everything in his head.

After getting his Apparition License from the Ministry, and barely evading the Minister of Magic, Harry had gone straight into Madam Malkin's and ordered some robes. He knew that cleaning robes were a matter of a simple spell, so he bought 3 pairs of plain robes for his everyday use. He also bought 3 pairs of dueling robes for himself, and 3 pairs for each of his friends. They were all light grey with a phoenix emblazoned on the back. On the front above the heart was a symbol of light, a wand and a sword crossed over the phoenix, and on each shoulder was a sign indicating each person.

Harry's sign was a small white circle with all the elements inside it, and each of the others signs were their respective elements, a flame, a water drop, a cloud and a small flower. The ones he got for Ginny and Neville simply had 5 stars in a circle, such as that worn by Generals in the army. He also ordered ones for the Council that they would have to go get, all paid for by himself, with 5 stars for Kingsley and Moody, and 4 signs for the others.

All the robes had protection from the elements as well as from minor spell damage. He also bought trunks for himself, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna and Neville like Moody's, with 7 rooms in each. This included a main trunk, sitting room, library, bedrooms (1 section split into 2), kitchen, training room/potions lab and bathroom. They were all interlinked, and were basically portable houses if anything happens to any of them and they needed to hide. The trunks were protected from all kinds of damage, and would only respond to their true owners, whom Harry would key into the trunks.

His other shopping included filling the portable libraries with books on every subject, as well as potions ingredients. He knew that they would all need to learn how to make healing potions and others that will help them, so he made sure he had some of everything in there. He thought that Severus would be proud that he was going to actually try to make potions, and he also hoped that Severus would agree to help them learn properly.

Once he had finished eating, he grabbed all of his bags and went to the back of the pub, spinning on the spot and apparating outside Grimmauld Place. He quickly entered and heard noises in the living room, so he walked in there, expecting his 'surprise' party to begin. But what he didn't expect is what he saw. The room was enlarged greatly, and there were more people there than he would have imagined. As well as the total Order of the Phoenix were Luna, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Padma, Parvati, Lavender, Ernie and most of the other 6th years, with the exception of the Slytherins.

He grinned as he put his shopping down out the way, casting privacy charms so not to ruin the surprise, and spent hours with his friends. They talked, ate, drunk and just generally partied. He must have danced with every female in the room at least once, and had a brilliant time. By the time it reached 10pm, Harry knew that the party was just about up, and that is when he saw his cake. Shaped as Hogwarts, including Dumbledore's tomb, it was absolutely massive. It bought a tear to his eye as he saw miniature people flying around the Quidditch pitch, and mini students running around the grounds, it was unreal.

As the guests trickled out, Harry gave them all a hug or handshake and thanked them for coming. He was sad to see them all leave, knowing that he may not return to Hogwarts and that if he did, he would be far too busy to actually just spend time with his friends. This may be the last time that he saw any of them at all, but he shook that thought from his head, determined not to spend his birthday thinking terrible thoughts.

All who remained were the Inner Circle, including his friends, and he pulled the shopping bags over. He took out all the items and enlarged them, before giving them out to his friends.

"There are 3 pairs of dueling robes for each of you. They are all designed in similar ways, and I'm sure you'll like them." He gave them a smile as they all gaped at the robes, taking in every detail. "I have also got you 7-compartment trunks, an idea I got off of Mad-eye there. There's a parchment showing you how to key yourself as the true owner, and telling you of the rooms. I have placed books in the library, and ingredients in the potions lab for you."

Severus raised his eyebrow at hearing the last part, and went to open his mouth before he was cut off by Harry. "Sev, I want you to teach us potions. Properly. Your methods from school were good enough to maybe see us through our N.E.W.T exams, but this is war now. We need to learn the ins and outs of potions, ingredients, and everything."

"Although I do not appreciate the insult against my teaching methods, I do understand. I shall endeavour to teach you as much as I can as long as you put all of your skills into it." Severus replied, glaring at everyone as if to enforce the point.

Smiling, Harry just said his thanks and retired to bed, knackered after a long and extremely brilliant day with his friends and family. As his eyes closed and he fell asleep, he knew that in the land of dreams, only happiness will invade his mind that night.

**A/N: Sorry it has taken so long to update, but I've been immensely busy with work and personal stuff. I promise to try and upload as fast as I can now, and get as much written as humanly possible, but it may be a week or 2 between chapters still! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was pretty boring and could have had more about the party, I know, but I want to keep the tone of the story quite serious for now, there's a lot to write and explain! Read and review, I love to hear from you all! Also looking for a Beta Reader still! - Dave**


	7. Spy or Die?

Walking across the street into the small park, Severus made sure he was hidden in the bushes before apparating to a small, deserted alleyway. Quickly making his way down a dingy street, his hand gripping his wand tightly, he slipped into a 2-story house. Lighting his wand, he made his way into the bedroom, donning black robes and a silver mask. Focusing on his Dark Mark, he apparated blindly and allowing the magic of the mark to apparate him to his Lord's location.

"Severus, I have been expecting you." A high pitched, snake-like voice said as soon as he landed. Severus kneeled down low, kissing the hem of the creature's robes, and put his Occlumency shields to full power before standing back up and taking his place in the front rank of the men. "Now we are all here, we can begin."

The doors slammed open as 2 people dragged a body in, battered and bloodied as they threw it on the floor in front of Voldemort. The 2 then took their places in the circle, one standing next to Severus. He nodded over to Draco who stood in his father's place, before looking down at the body, recognizing him as Mundungus Fletcher.

Looking back up at Voldemort, Severus started running through the different possibilities in his mind. Mundungus has been caught for some reason, and everyone knows how unreliable he is with secrets. He needed an escape plan just in case, and luckily, he had planned for such an occasion.

"As you may or may not know," Lord Voldemort began, pacing in front of Mundungus' body. "This here is Mundungus Fletcher, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a known thief and blood traitor." Voldemort paused while some of his men hissed in anger.

"He had been caught trying to spy on some of my faithful Death Eaters, and therefore deserves to be given some… special treatment. After of course, he has been interrogated."

Voldemort walked over to Severus and took his mask off him. He also did the same to Draco, and to Bellatrix Lestrange. "You 3 shall interrogate him for me. Use whatever painful means are necessary to demand his full co-operation, I want all of his secrets."

Voldemort then dismissed everyone, leaving Snape and the others to take Mundungus down to the dungeons. Bellatrix and Draco dragging the body along as Severus imperiously marched in front of them, making everyone shrink out of his way, before he slammed the door to the interrogation room open.

Dumping Mundungus on the floor in the middle of the room, Severus shut and locked the door with strong wards, ensuring they would not be interrupted, before turning around and waking him. Draco and Bellatrix walked back to stand against the wall, partially hidden and enabling Severus to start the interrogation.

Putting on his trademark sneer and drawl, he smoothly pointed his wand at Mundungus. "Well what do we have here, a blood traitorous rat caught at his own game. You were never very good at what you did; filth, and now you will pay for it."

Mundungus scared at Severus in horror, before realising who it was and allowing a look of relief flash across his face. Severus stared down into his eyes, quickly shoving mental instructions at the man.

Severus picked the man's wand off the tables, sneering at Mundungus. "Tell me, Fletcher, are you going to co-operate?" He laid the wand over his knee, as if to snap it in half. Fletcher glanced at the corner and raised his eyebrows.

"Why would I do that?" The 2 Death Eaters didn't know what was coming. With speed Snape dropped the wand into Fletchers hand, spinning around and casting a killing curse at Bellatrix, hitting her square in the chest and sending her at the wall, while Mundungus disarmed Draco.

"We do not have long." Severus began, looking at Draco expectantly. "I have a plan to fool the Dark Lord, and you have 2 choices Draco. You can come with us and be well protected, or you can die here."

Draco looked between them and agreed to go with them, hope shining in his eyes at escaping at last. Severus nodded and Mundungus grabbed Draco, spinning on the spot and apparating out, setting the wards off. Within an instant, Voldemort was by Severus' side with his wand pointed at him dangerously.

"Severus, my cunning friend, what have you done?" Luckily Severus had spent his walk down to the room generating the fake memories, and let the memory float to the front of his mind as the Dark Lord explored his memories.

Watching the scene, Voldemort was shocked as he saw Bellatrix make the simple mistake of waving Fletcher's wand in his face, letting the thief grab it and slam her against the wall, sending a killing curse at her and grabbing Draco, all while Snape blocked the spells fired at him. Of course, Voldemort had no way to know that Mundungus was probably incapable of such a feat, but the memory was flawless in Snape's mind.

"Very well, Severus. I expect you to go back to the Order and find out what is going on. Draco is to stay with you as a spy, or returned to me immediately." Voldemort walked out of the room angrily shouting at someone to dispose of Bellatrix's body, as Snape walked out of the lair, apparating back to Grimmauld Place and walking inside.

He heard a crack in the kitchen and the sound of spells being fired, and immediately burst into the room with his wand out once again, rolling his eyes at the scene. Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing there, wands pointed at Draco who was cowering behind Mundungus.

"Enough, children." Sneered Snape, glaring as they lowered their wands. "Mr Malfoy will be staying with us for a while, and is to be shown the same respect as you show others within our group, is that understood?

They all nodded at this, but never too their eyes off Draco or relaxed their grips on their wands. Severus rolled his eyes once again, grabbing Draco by the arm and dragging him up to a spare bedroom, throwing him on the bed unceremoniously.

"While you are here, young dragon, you are at the mercy of the trio. Forget your pureblood superiority, forget your snootiness, and above all remember that you are the inferior here." Severus stated quietly, the look in his eyes amplifying the seriousness of the situation. "This is your room for now, until I talk to Lord Potter. Stay here, I shall have food sent up to you until they know the situation."

Draco's eyes widened at the term of Lord Potter, even the Malfoy's hadn't the title of a Lord, showing him exactly how important Harry was. He knew that he must be one of the elemental Lord's, and sat back on the bed thinking as Severus walked out of the room again.

* * *

Severus sat down at the kitchen table, everyone looking at him expectantly. He had called in Remus, Kingsley, Tonks, Moody, Minerva and the Weasley's, all whom sat along with the trio of students.

"Draco never wanted to work for the Dark Lord; therefore I have bought him with me. He is under my protection, and shall not be harmed." He glared at everyone, showing that this was not under debate.

"Sev, why should I let **him** stay in my house after everything he has done!?" Harry asked in disbelief. "All the times he called 'Mione a mudblood, attempting to kill Albus of his own accord, the times he has cursed us and insulted us?"

The other young members in the room nodded their heads, the ones who had known Malfoy from school at least. Severus sighed and rubbed his face gently, staring at Harry in annoyance.

"Because he is a good person when he is not around those who report his actions to his father. That is enough of this; you will have to trust me." He ended the debate with them words, moving onto the next subject. "Neville and Luna shall be joining us tomorrow, and along with Draco we will start your training. Ginny and Neville shall be focusing on healing and strategic tactics respectively; the rest of you shall be focusing on using your powers."

Everyone nodded along as Severus outlined the tasks for the next few days, giving them a schedule that was similar to school, where they would have normal lessons as well as specific lessons, split into 2 groups, the Elements, and Neville/Ginny separately learning their own tactics.

**Monday**

Lesson 1: 1 ½ hour Potions – Severus Snape

Lesson 2: 1 ½ hour Transfiguration – Minerva McGonagall

LUNCH

Lesson 3: 3 hours specialised lesson – Severus Snape

**Tuesday**

Lesson 1: 1 ½ hour DADA – Remus Lupin

Lesson 2: 1 ½ hour Charms – Bill Weasley

LUNCH

Lesson 3: 3 hours specialised lesson – Severus Snape

**Wednesday**

Lesson 1: 1 ½ hour DADA – Remus Lupin

Lesson 2: 1 ½ hour Potions – Severus Snape

LUNCH

Lesson 3: 3 hours specialised lesson – Severus Snape

**Thursday**

Lesson 1: 1 ½ hour Charms – Bill Weasley

Lesson 2: 1 ½ hour Transfiguration – Minerva McGonagall

LUNCH

Lesson 3: 3 hours specialised lesson – Severus Snape

**Friday**

Lesson 1: 3 hours practical training – Alastor Moody & Kingsley Shacklebolt

LUNCH

Lesson 3: 3 hours practical training – Alastor Moody & Kingsley Shacklebolt

The students flinched at the fact they would be doing 3 hours at a time, but was glad that the schedules only had 1 defining repetitiveness, the specialised lesson. They were also glad that the teachers were ones they knew and would treat them well, although Ron looked sick at the idea of at least 3 hours a day with Severus.

Severus spoke again. "Minerva shall be teaching you how to become Animagi one lesson a week, as well as how transfiguration helps in duels in the other. I shall be teaching you potions from scratch, but with an emphasis on healing and destructive concoctions. Bill shall be teaching you about wards and basic healing, while Remus teaches you defensive and offensive spells and creatures.

Alastor and Kingsley shall teach you how to duel and run you through scenarios to see how well you do for missions. All lessons are subject to change of teachers, for example I am more suited to teach Dark Magic, and may assist in other lessons too."

The meeting finished with the trio going up to Harry's room to relax, knowing that the next day they would begin their gruelling training for the fight against evil.

**A/N: I apologize for the extremely long delay, but work and personal life interfered alot, and so I did not have anytime at all to write anything else. I am, hopefully, getting back on tract now, so I will have another chapter uploaded within a week. I hope that you enjoy more of this story, and that the reviews keep coming in, even after such a period of time. Thank you. -Dave**


	8. Phoenix 1, Snake Face 0

It was 5am in the village of Ottery St Catchpole, nobody could be seen. The village was one that was peaceful at night, no teenagers or kids running amok, no drunken middle-aged men singing out of tune. Everyone was as it was supposed to be, in place and quiet.

Outside The Horse and Cart, the village pub, there were 5 loud cracks, as a band of people apparated out of nowhere, holding wands in their hands. One whom was from this village would think, at first sight, that they were members of some strange cult, wearing black robes, white masks and holding these sticks. But they didn't know better, they did not know of the other world they co-existed with.

The 5 suddenly disappeared again, after casting a point me spell. This time, they appeared outside of a lopsided house a few miles out of the village. This house was known as The Burrow, home of the Weasleys. Of course, these Death Eaters didn't know that it was abandoned, yet being watched anyway.

The leader stepped forward and raised her wand casting spells to dispel the particularly weak wards, no blood traitor could cause decent wards was her theory. Once they were down, the others merely pointed their wands at the house and blew it up with a few choice spells. The whole operation took merely 5 minutes.

As they disappeared, what they failed to notice, was the invisible Weasley Twin stick a timed, and disguised device, onto the back of each of the Death Eaters. This of course, did not bode well for them in the very near future.

Apparting back to headquarters, he nodded at his father and Harry, who sighed and thanked Severus for the information on this attack. It was now a matter of sitting back and waiting for the news. Of course, this only took an hour, before Severus stepped into the room, his mouth twiching in humour.

He simply put his wand to his temple, drew out a memory and placed it in the pensieve Harry had out, inviting them all in to watch. This, of course, was when the real fun started... the return of the Death Eaters from The Burrow!

_There were 5 cracks as the Death Eaters apparated back into the presence of their master. They bowed low and rised, waiting instructions. Voldemort just waved his hand at them, allowing the leader to talk._

"_My Lord, it was successful. The house has been destroyed, and we sensed 4 people in the house." Of course, they didn't know that this were simply false signatures, placed to fool them._

"_Very well, take your place in the circle". They did as they were told, and that is when the devices went off. Sharp needles protected out of the device into the Death Eaters, sending them to the floor as the paralyzing agent kicked in._

_A mist formed above the devices, twisting into a shape of a phoenix, glowing bright as the voice of Harry Potter came out of the mist._

"_Hello Tom, how nice to speak to you again! I bet you are wondering what is going on, but then you always were a bit slow. Your agents are good, but not as good as you think, defeated by children, heh! Stay away from my friends Snake Face, or you'll get more of this treatment."_

_Everyone could see the temperature in the room drop as Lord Voldemort went from angry, to pissed off. The power radiating from him was enough to make even Merlin shiver, and it was getting even more out of control._

_Voldemort threw a killing curse at each of the Death Eaters laying on the floor, snarling at the Phoenix which stayed there. He tried casting a dispelling spell, but that simply made it grow bigger and grow brighter, he was not amused._

_The Death Eaters by this time were backing out of the room in a very panicked manner, scared that they would be the next victim of the Dark Lord's temper. It wasn't long before the room was empty, with Severus watching from just outside the door through a crack._

_By the time he had left, the Phoenix was covering most of the room, and the Dark Lord was practically howling in frustration._

Harry and Arthur left the pensieve laughing their heads off, what a breakfast treat this was, embarassing the Dark Lord in such a way that only pranksters like Fred and George could have done. They waited for the others to come, it was now 7am and their lessons for the day would begin soon.

*****

The first lesson was Defence against the Dark Arts. They all walked in and took their places, looking around for Remus. He entered a few minutes later, smiling slightly as he took his wand out and waved some books over to them.

"These lessons might be taking place during the summer, but I am going to work you extremely hard. You won't be following the NEWT curriculum exactly, we are training you to fight, therefore at school your lessons shall take place as normal. Today, I am going to assess your abilities."

He paired the students off to duel against each other. Harry v Hermione, Ron v Luna and Neville v Ginny. They were to use Stinging hexes only, but getting hit by one would put you out of the duel. They had to use all their skills to dodge, block or otherwise counter the spells sent at them.

Remus walked around watching the pairs, pleased as the simple yet good abilities they already had. Ginny had much power behind her spells, although Neville seemed to be better at countering spells and defending. Luna was as lonny as she always was, but her spells were deadly accurate and the movements performed with intricacy, while Ron tended to send his spells off target.

Harry and Hermione were the best to watch. Hermione moved with grace, a smile on her lips as she weaved away from all of Harry's spells. Harry was starting to get frustrated, but as he did Remus saw his powers slowly slipping and his spells getting more powerful and less accurate. He decided to stop the duels before any damage was caused.

He called the students back to the middle of the room and thanked them, having them read up on some basic offensive spells while he planned the next lesson. Once the time was up, Remus left while the students waited for Severus.

Potions went the same way, with Severus lecturing them on focus in his lessons, and helping them pass their NEWTs. He started with a basic OWL potion, spending time with each one, helping them understand what each ingredient did in this potion, and how they reacted together.

The most spectacular part of this lesson was Snape's praise to Neville about how he handled the plants, and actually helping him instead of berating him constantly. It was the first relaxed lesson they had ever had with Severus, and they all enjoyed actually learning something.

Lunch time didn't come fast enough for them though. They sat down at the table where Mrs. Weasley was whipping up some sandwiches and snacks for them, talking about what they had learnt, and what they wanted to learn in their specialised lesson with Severus.

Harry was telling them about the memory this morning, the others all knowing the plan, and they laughed over the description of the memory. All in all, it was an enjoyable lunch, made better by the excitement of learning about their powers that afternoon.

When Severus came in, he had Poppy Pomfrey. It was decided that she would teach Ginny in Healing while the others focused on their powers for now. Once they had basic control, they would all work on the other stuff they needed to know.

The atmosphere slowly started building up with more anticipation as they finished lunch, everyone not wanting to wait for their next lesson.

**A/N: But sorry.. because you now have to wait for it! I know this is 3 weeks... 2 weeks after I said I would update, but stuff has been going on. I will update every 2-3 weeks I hope, a month at the very most. But I am also working with someone to edit parts of the early chapters, and looking for a Beta Reader too. Edited Chapter 1 shall be up tonight or tomorrow! Read n Review! -Dave**


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